Vanity was once the preserve of the privileged but Instagram has changed all of that

Madonna might have told the world to “Express Yourself” way back in 1989, but it’s millennials who have taken self-expression to a whole new level. And we’ve only got Instagram to thank for that.

That’s not because — despite what the headlines might say — we’re a bunch of vain narcissists with nothing better to do than take endless selfies. It’s actually because Instagram, and the mass adoption of cameraphones, has democratised self-expression and portraiture for everyone, regardless of class.